OTTAWA, April 4, 2008 (AFP) - A Canadian man was sentenced on Friday to 18 years in prison for knowingly exposing women to HIV, the virus that causes AIDS.
Carl Leone, 32, was convicted of 15 counts of aggravated assault, each earning him two to five years in jail to be served consecutively for a total of 49 years.
But the judge reduced his sentence to 18 years to better reflect sentencing guidelines.
According to reports, Superior Court Justice Joseph Quinn said at sentencing that Leone had committed a "despicable and selfish crime for five to 10 minutes of sexual gratification."
Leone was told in 1997 by health workers that he was HIV-positive, seven years before his arrest in June 2004.
Under Ontario provincial health laws, HIV or AIDS-infected persons must inform their sex partners, who must consent to engaging in high-risk sex.
Five of his victims are now HIV-positive. Some of them were drugged and assaulted while unconscious, the court heard.
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